Why Istanbul Loves Stray Cats

Welcome to the city of cat fanciers.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Published August 8, 2018

Published 6 days ago

If you're a cat, there's likely no better city in which to live than Istanbul. Affectionately known as Catstanbul, the city's residents actually look after the strays by lining the streets with little cat-size houses, food, and water bowls. One of the reasons behind the special treatment may be that Islam — the largest religion in Turkey — considers cats to be ritually clean and so they are revered. Here, a closer look at some of the locals.